Oct. 16--The first time St. Laurence football coach Harold Blackmon faced his alma mater, it didn't end well.
Blackmon made his varsity coaching debut in 2012 against Leo. The Lions dismantled the Vikings 32-13, and St. Laurence limped to a 1-8 record.
This year's seniors were freshmen then. Some left Blackmon's program along the way, but 15 of them are on the verge of helping the Vikings (5-2, 3-0 Catholic League White) win their first conference title in 28 years.
They'll have a chance to clinch Friday at Leo.
"Our goal is to finish undefeated in the White division," said Blackmon, a Northwestern grad who played nine NFL games with the Seahawks in 2001-02. "We have to worry about us. Nothing else really matters at this point, whether it's my alma mater or not."
St. Laurence was once the toast of the Catholic League, and in 1976 the Vikings became the first school in the conference to win an IHSA state football title, winning Class 5A, at the time the state's largest classification. They last won a league title in 1987 as champions of the Catholic League South -- Leo won the North that year -- but haven't been close to another crown often.
Now, St. Laurence only has Leo in the way, and the Lions (1-6, 0-2) seem unlikely to impede the Vikings' progress.
"There were a lot of moments in the offseason that we really didn't click together," junior running back Fayezon Smart said. "One day, we had one meeting and we said if we want to achieve our goals of winning the White division, going on to state and the state playoffs, we've got to come together."
Quarterback Alex Martinez has guided St. Laurence during the resurgence, but his season took a sudden turn Oct. 8 when his father died unexpectedly. He missed practice Monday and Tuesday for the wake and funeral. Blackmon expects him to return in time to play Friday.
Martinez passed for 202 yards and four touchdowns Friday in a 63-24 victory against Aurora Christian a day after his father's death. He insisted his father would have wanted him to play.
"Everybody's had to lean on each other more and support each other more," senior receiver Willie Walton said. "It's a hard time. We just trust each other more than ever now."
Martinez has completed 98 of 142 passes this season for 1,313 yards with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. Smart has led the way on the ground, rushing for 1,146 yards and 16 touchdowns on 126 carries, averaging 9.1 yards per attempt.
Blackmon says his program is right on schedule, according to his self-described five-year rollout plan. Last year, the Vikings qualified for the state and Catholic League playoffs for the first time under his direction. A conference title and automatic state playoff berth are the next steps, and he hopes next year signals the start of St. Laurence's perennial contention for conference and state titles.
Then again, there's no time like the present.
"I was brought up to always stick with what I started and never to back down from a challenge," senior offensive lineman Anthony Rios said. "That first year, not being on a great team, I knew it would take extra work to get where we are now. The ones that are here still, we put in all that work to come to where we are."
mstainbrook@tribpub.com
